Tuesday, May 26, 2009

We hope everyone had a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend!!! We had an awesome 3-day weekend. On Saturday we enjoyed our first round of par 3 golf as a family. Maddie walked the holes with Grammy, stopping to hit balls with her clubs, and play in the sand traps. On Sunday we enjoyed a fabulous day at the Oregon Coast (Lincoln City), and on Monday we hosted a backyard BBQ for some of our friends. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed it to the fullest!

Here are some photos from our beach trip. Maddie started out by playing with her toys in the sand and watching the kites, until she realized there was water. She beelined for the waves and had no fear about getting wet. She and I jumped waves while Tony took pictures (the water was too cold for him) . After each wave I walked her back toward shore to see if she had enough, and she kept pulling me back to the water. It was an awesome moment for us as parents to see her sheer joy and innocence as she played in the waves for the first time.

Maddie played hard and took a good nap in her stroller while we relaxed on a blanket. Tony wanted to rest his eyes while Maddie napped, so to be safe, he tied the tether strap from the stroller to his ankle...I laughed at him, thinking it was such a boy/McGuyver move. Then we left the beach and found place called Regatta Park with the coolest play structure ever!! For those of you who have kids you have to check it out. It was huge wooden play structure with many slides, a tightrope, a xylophone, bouncy bridges, monkey bars, swings. We played there for another hour and a half before we had to eat dinner and head for home. What a fun day!

Maddie crawled a lot in the sand. She found it easier than walking.

I had to hold her back!

She got soaked and she loved it! It was only about 64 degrees but she didn't care. She would have liked to play in the water for longer, but we eventually felt like she needed to dry off and warm up.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Maddie had her first taste of BBQ this weekend. In fact we had 3 BBQs! She preferred turkey burger with ketchup! (Ignore the fact that she looks like a boy in these pictures. She was wearing her "My Mom's a Fox" shirt.)

One of our BBQ parties was at Grandpa Randy & Robyn's house. After lunch Grandpa and Maddie enjoyed running through the sprinklers.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Here are some pictures from our recent trip to Central Oregon. We stayed in a friend's timeshare at Eagle Crest resort. It was a very relaxing trip and we got to spend a lot of good family time together. The first few days we were there it was cold and rainy, but luckily we found an indoor play gym for Maddie. She practiced riding a bike, pushing babies in a stroller, climbing up and down the slide. It was fun and it wore her out!

The next few pictures are from our hike at Smith Rock State Park.

We encountered 3 differnet snakes along the path!!!!!

The following pictures are from two different days, both at the Newberry Volcano park just past Sunriver. There was a nice hike along the river, and we also walked around the perimeter of the cindercone.

We love our new B.O.B stroller! Wish we would have bought it when Maddie was born!

We had to make a lot of stops on all of our hikes for Maddie to get out and walk. She is a little nature girl!

This picture is at the top of the forest fire lookout.

This is the edge of the cindercone.

This picture is at the playground at Eagle Crest on Mother's Day. My mom was able to come join us for Mother's day. We had a nice Mother's Day brunch and then took a hike along the river, and then played at the park before we headed home. As part of my mother's day gift, I was treated to a massage and pedicure at the resort spa on Friday.

And finally the weather warmed up on our last few days and we got some great views of the mountains.

And yes, I was a nice wife and let Tony golf 3 different courses while we were there. In fact, our good friends John and Shawna came up and the boys golfed while the girls hung out, and then we had a great BBQ afterward....and 4 bottles of wine!!

While it wasn't sunny Palm Springs, it was a much needed vacation and break from our hectic schedules.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

For those of you who were wondering about whether or not we made it to the Tulip Festival....we finally did!! Maddie and I went last Friday afternoon. It was a tad bit windy, and a few little rain drops fell, but it wasn't crowded at all and we still got to see and do everything. Next year, however, I have already informed Tony that he is coming too. It was a little difficult trying to take in the beauty, and trying to get pictures while Maddie was eating dirt and pulling petals off the tulips. Also it was interesting navigating the restrooms....I mean outhouses....with a curious toddler.

Gosh we live in a beautiful place!! "Mom, I don't want to pose for you!"

The prettiest tulip in the festival!

Flowers almost as tall as Maddie.

So I let her touch a little bit...

Some nice tourists offered to take a picture of us together.

Maddie thought the tulips were okay, but it was tough for her to walk over the little dirt hills, and she was much more interested in playing in the dirt and crushed hazelnut shells they had for ground cover. Maddie humored me and walked all the way out to the end of the tulip fields with me, and I humored her and we rode the tram back to the kiddie area. She got to climb hay bales and go down some slides, and do a rubber duck race by pumping a water well. Then as we were walking out, we walked through the garden area where you can picnic (or have a wedding) and hidden in the garden was a child's play house with a picnic table and all kinds of kitchen toys in it. I could hardly drag Maddie away. She loves to play pretend.

Two more cute Maddie updates: Her new phrase is "oh wow" which she says all the time and sometimes it actually sounds like she is commenting on the conversation. Also she has learned what "jump"means. She squats down and then extends her knees, but she doesn't' actually get any air yet. I have to get it on video. It is so darn cute!!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Last weekend Tony played in a golf tournament with his Dad in Roseburg. He took Thursday and Friday off work so he could play practice rounds, so we got a nice long weekend. We stayed with Grandma Linda and Grandpa Ike (thanks for giving up your room!) It was Maddie's first time to the Country Club, so we took her out and introduced her around. She even took her own clubs so she could play!

Tony played in a "scramble" tournament on a team with Grandpa Ike and Uncle Mike. They ended up placing 4th which is excellent!! The weather was dry, sunny sometimes and cool other times. We had a great weekend visiting with Grandma Linda, Grandpa Ike, Auntie Shannon, Mike & Linda, and of course...Divot and Max (dogs!!) Maddie chased the dogs all around the house and yard, and climbed up and down Divot's doggy stairs that lead up to the couch. Now she wants to get up on the couch all the time, but she doesn't understand that if she stands up or rolls over that she will fall off.

Checking out the course Golf is tiring!!

How do you hold this club anyway?

Grandpa Ike and Uncle Mike

Tony and Maddie driving the cart.

This is at Stuart Park. We had fun playing for a little while. Then a family showed up with two kids..the dad was knocking back beers and the mom was smoking on the swing set....all at 10:30 in the morning. We left.

Doesn't Maddie look tiny next to the train??? It is at the park, and it is accessible to climb in and touch all the parts. Pretty cool.